Terry Burgess Interview: Highways, Unions, and Politics in Prince George
Terry was born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia. As a young man, he was in the Air Force for a couple of years and worked in various mills. He became a provincial government employee when he started working for the Ministry of Highways in 1958.
This interview was conducted by George Davison on December 3, 2024 in Prince George, BC. It is part of our Oral History Collection.
Terry was born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia. As a young man, he was in the Air Force for a couple of years and worked in various mills. He became a provincial government employee when he started working for the Ministry of Highways in 1958.
Terry was active in the BCGEU (BC Government Employees’ Union, now the BC General Employees’ Union). He describes its transition from an employee association to a trade union. As chair of his component, Terry led negotiations for the ETI (Engineering, Technical and Inspectional) agreement. Terry served many years as the BCGEU vice-president for the northern region. He also recounts how his job changed with the privatization of highway maintenance.
Terry was also involved in municipal politics, serving as the vice-chair of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George for nearly 20 years.
Throughout the interview, Terry shares anecdotes from his long time involvement in the labour movement and municipal politics.